Composite photography



B. C. HASKIN COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY Aug. 8, 1939.

Filed Nov. 23, 1936 J E P INVENTOR BvPo/v C. HA

A TOR/V51 Patented Aug. s, 1639 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,1, COMPOSITE PHOTOGRAPHY Application November 23, 1938, Serial No. 112,193

This invention relates to composite photography and has for an object to lend life and reality to a motion picture of a set or scene. This is accomplished by casting on the set or scene, when 5 it is being photographed, a motion picture of the action in silhouette to simulate shadows of moving actors or objects. The projection distance is so chosen that the have a size appropriate to the scale of the set.

whether full size or miniature. The shadows of the action as thus produced in scale with and on the set, are thereby composited with the set and lend life and reality to the composite scene which may be photographed with a motion picture camera.

The invention contemplates, first, obtaining a motion picture film in silhouette of moving actors and/or other objects with the background portions of the film clear and transparent, and

thence projecting a beam of light through the film, as it is intermittently moved in the usual a set or scene while photographing on a sensitized motion picture film the set and the moving projected shadows of the actors in the same scale as the set. It will be seen that by properly positioning and focusing the film upon the set, the size of the shadows may be made as small or as large as desired. thus permitting the projection of such shadows upon miniature sets with the size of the shadow to the cast thereon.

a feature of the invention resides in the fact that the shadow of an actor apparently standing near a photographing camera may be cast upon a set or scene being photographed by the camera without photographing either the actor himself or the shadow of the camera. 40 More particularly describing the invention reference is made to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an arrangement for preparing a composite photograph of shadows of moving actors and a miniature set or scene according to the present invention. I

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of a portion of a motion picture film containing the silhouette of moving actors and will be hereinafter referred to as a silhouette film.

As the first step in my improved method of photographing shadows, I obtain a motion picture film ll (Fig. 3). showing kinematograpnic shadows thus represented phases of movement of actors, objects, etc. as at H and II to be ultimately cast as shadows on the set being photographed. The manner in which such a film may be obtained is considered well known in the art and thus it is believed not necessary to illustrate such procedure of light projected on one surface thereof with the photographing camera facing the opposite 10 surface. The actors, etc., are caused to move along the screen between the light source and the adjacent surface of the screen to throw their shadows in silhouette upon the screen. The cpposite surface of the screen is photographed and 15 a print of the film-thus obtained, as at ID, shows the various actors in silhouette at H and I! with the background portions ll of the film clear and transparent.

Referring now to Fig. 1 a miniature set i5 20 supported by a structure i8 is provided in front of a motion picture projector i4 and a motion picture camera It. Camera is is preferably mounted upon a free head l8 to permit universal rotation thereof. Film in is placed in projector I! in the usual manner and the projector is so positioned in relation to the set II that shadows II and I! of silhouettes H and I! on the film II will be projected in proper relation to the configuration of the set and of a size having the same scale as the set I5. That is, the silhouettes ii and 12 represent actors walking upon a surface or floor, therefore the shadows H and I! are so positioned in relation 85 to the set II as to indicate the actors walking upon a surface such as a walk 20 in front of buildings It and I1.

Suitable means is provided such as a three phase interlock system, diagrammatically indi- 40.

cated by wires II, between the respective operating motors of the projector i4 and camera i9 to maintain the respective pull down mechanisms of theprojector and camera in synchronism.

Since the size of the projected shadows i and 45 I! is relatively small in comparison with the size of original actors photographed on the silhouette film, or in other words, since the ratio between the size of the silhouettes Ii, l2 on film II and the size of the projected shadows or images II' II is smaller than that in common projection p152; ice, the projector is set relatively close to the front of the set l5. Thus the area of illumination of the set it dueto the projector is ing therethrough.

houettes II and I2 2| may, if desired, be

. dimensions a and illuminated; by the projector source would obliterate the is "preferably illuminated at defined by the dimension a which is smaller than the set as a whole. 1

When it is desired to photograph the whole set or, at least, more than that portion which is H, for example, vertical pan shot from the street level of set l5 to the top story thereof, it is necessary to illuminate the rest of the set with light coming from a separate souroewhile preventing a sharp drop or line of demarcation of illumination between the area illuminated by the projector and the area illuminated by such separate source. Further; it is necessary that most of the light which is used to illuminate the portion of the set whereon the shadows ii and l2"are to appear, be projected by the projector l4, since a large amount of light from a separate shadows thus prowhen making a jected.

For thepurpose just explained I employ one or more additional spotlights as indicated at 2|, the area of illumination of such light being contiguous with the area of illumination of projector l4. Referring to Fig. 2, I employ in front of the projector l4 a translucent screen 22.

preferably composed of silk or similar material to diffuse or lower the intensity of the light passthe screen to permit a total amount of illumination in the area defined by dimension D on set iii to be obtained from projector i4. It is through this opening 23 that the shadows of the silon mm H) are projected. The adjacent area or zone between 'the limits ofthe dimensions a and b, although also illuminated by projector l4 will be seen to receive a lesser degree of illumination dueto the passage of the light through the diffusing portion of screen 22. Spotlight 2! also has in front thereof a translucent screen 24 provided to diffuse the light projected thereby. An opaque screen 25 is provided in front of screen 24 to prevent any light from the spotlight 2! from reaching the area b of the minature set l5. However, the partly illuminated zone about the area b as well as the rest of the set l5 receives the diffused light passing through screen 24. Thus it will be seen that a shaded effect will be produced between minated area b and the rest of the set l5 which less intensity by light 2i.

The translucent screen 24 in front of spotlight so constructed that only the portion of the lightbeing projected upon the set IS in the zone indicated between the limits of b '(Fig. 2) willbe diffused or decreased in intensity. In this case the portions of the light from spotlight 2i which are projected on set l5 outside of the area a would be of total intensity similar b by projector Also the total amount of iilumination of the zone between the limits of b resulting-from the diffused illumination from both light 2| and projector i4 would beequal to the illumination within area b or outside of area a.

flood lights -One or more such as 35 may be employed to provide a soft illuminationbf the Fig. 1) may be cast upon the front surface of set An opening 23 is provided in to that projected upon the area ii by means of light which apparently is cast from a light source directly in line with the camera it, which in reality is in the projector l4, out of line with camera It. Thus the shadow may be photographed either the actor himself or the shadow of the camera.

To make such a scene even more natural. in, case of anight scene, a miniature street lamp 21 may be provided (Fig. l), the position of lamp 21 being near the area of illumination 41, however, sufllciently clear, to prevent a shadow thereof from being cast on the front surface of set i5. After the sequence of photographing shadows ii and I2, the camera it may then be both panned and tilted counter-clockwise and upwardly, respectively to photograph the image of lamp 21, which appears in the photograph to have been the source of illumination of the zone a.

I claim:

1. Motion picture apparatus comprising the combination of abackground, means for projecting on said background motion picture images from film having an action component in sil- 2 houette surrounded by a clear field, a mask for said means and having a central portion which transmits light to a high degree and a border portion which transmits light toa lesser degree, the central portion of said mask transmitting the projected images of said silhouette and thereby illuminating to a high degree a certain area of said background surrounding said silhouette,-

while an adjoining area of said background is illuminated to a lower degree due to said border portion, a light source having a zone of illumination embracing said certain area and said adjoining area of said background, and a mask for said zone having high light impedance in the. portion thereof overlying said certain area and lesser light impedance in the portion of said zone overlying said adjoining area of said background. the amount of light impedance in the central and border zones of both of said masks being such that said background is illuminated .with substantially the same intensity in said certain area and in said adjoining area. 2 The method of composite photography which comprises projecting a motion picture image beam of light and a separate beam of iilumination toward the same area of a background set, the central zone of said motion picture beam containing the image forming light rays, the central'zone of one of said beams extending over substantially the same area of said background as the central zone of said beams, light impeding the central zone of said beam of illumination and the border zone of both of said beams by amounts such that said background is illuminated with substantially the same intensity of illumination in said central zone thereof and in said border zone thereof and photographing said background set where thus illuminated by said central zones and said border zones.

- v3. The method according to claim 2 wherein said background set comprises a miniature and which comprises employing said motion picture image beam of light to project a silhouette picture on said background set, and adjusting the size of said silhouette image to the scale of said background set.

4, The method of composite photography with a motion picture camera which comprises projecting a motion picture of action'in silhouette '1 without photographing 5 the other of upon a certain area of the front of a set to simulate a shadow cast by said action, the size of said silhouette being appropriate to the size of said set, arranging adjacent said area of said set an object which is an apparent but not a real source of light producing said silhouette upon said set, illuminating said object without casting a shadow thereof in said area, photographing on a series of frames said silhouette moving, picture projected on said set, moving the camera to bring said object within the field of view thereof, and photographing said object on a succeeding series of frames.

5. The method according to claim 4 which 5 comprises arranging said silhouette, said set ahd said object in miniature and in scale with each other.

BYRON C. HASKIN. 

